On September 11, 2011 there was an interesting article in the Des Moines Register the rise of fraudulent and unethical legal advice. This information really highlights why it is important to know and trust your immigration attorney and long term consequences for you and your family, if they are not providing sound representation. Check out excerpts below:
"Complaints of fraudulent and unethical legal advice that can result in the deportation of immigrants are becoming more common ...illegal immigration law advice runs so rampant around the country that Citizenship and Immigration Services, a federal agency, teamed up in June with the Federal Trade Commission, state and federal prosecutors, and immigrant advocates to combat the problem.Officials in many states, from California to Kentucky, have investigated individuals and proposed legislation in recent years to combat the problem."
The article continues:
"Des Moines attorney Jim Benzoni said he has received complaints about legal assistants moving door-to-door... promising work permits for those who pay $500 to have an asylum claim filed. The catch? Asylum claims are extraordinarily hard to win, and those who apply are marked for deportation unless they win their cases.
The asylum claims can delay deportation hearings because of the backlog in immigration courts. While waiting for a hearing, those tagged for deportation receive a work permit. Pleased with the results, immigrants encourage others to do the same. “Two years later suddenly ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is showing up at your door and bingo. People won’t know that until the other shoe drops,” Benzoni said."
So while relying only on advice from colleagues, friends or the internet may seem like a good idea, doing-it-yourself or hiring and cheap, but unethical lawyer can cause many immigrant families to face dire consequences.
